Compressed-air water-elevator.



N0. 69I,278. Patented'-lan. [4. I902. J. L. LATTA &. J. A. MARTIN.

COMPRESSED AIR WATER ELEVATOR. (Application file i oct. 20, 1898. Renewed May 26, 1 901.)

(No Model.)

n4: NORRIS vzrzns co. worouriguu WASHINGTON, u

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

JOHN LEE LATTA AND JAMES ANDREWlVIARTIN, OF HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA.

COM PRES SED-AIR WATER-ELEVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,278, dated January 14,1902. Application filed October 20, 1898. Renewed May 25, 1901. Serial No. 61,951. No model.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN LEE LA'ITA and JAuEs ANDREW MARTIN, citizens of the United States, residing at Hickory, in the county of Catawba and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful Oompressed-Air ater-Elevator, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to water-elevators, and particularly to a device of this class wherein the water is raised by compressed air; and the same consists, essentially, in an improvement upon a patent, No. 569,294, granted to us on October 13, 1896.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved general construction and arrangement of parts whereby the efiiciency of the apparatus is increased, and particularly to provide an improved construction of valve and valve-operating mechanism. WVe have found in practice that while variable balances having difierent effects upon the valve, according to the density of the element in which they are arranged, may be used in connection with the operation of the valve the adjustment of the valve by means of such devices is not as complete as is desirable in order to insure the greatest efticiencyin operation, and hence it is one object of our invention to provide an auxiliary counterbalancing or governing device'to"a'ssist the weights in completing the throw of the valve in opposite directions when the initial movement of the valve has been instituted by the variable weights.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a portion of the pump mechanism, including the water chambers or cylinders and the valve mechanism. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the valve mechanism and casing. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken in the plane of the axis of the valve. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the counterbalancing or governing device. Fig. 5 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the valve and seat to show' the relative arrangement of the ports in said parts. A

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawlngs.

Inasmuch as our present improvement refers solely to the construction of the waterchambers and valve mechanism we have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate in full the pump mechanism, including the means whereby pneumatic pressure is supplied and whereby the water after leaving a waterchamber is conveyed to aservice-point, it being understood that any suitable means for supplying pneumatic pressure may be employed. In the construction illustrated the water-chambers 1 and 2 consist of cylindrical receptacles adapted to be submerged in the liquid which is to be elevated and provided, respectively, with inwardly-opening inletvalves 3 of the check-valve type, whereby upon the application of pressure to the interior of a'chamber its inlet-valve is closed to prevent the introduction of liquid, and communicating with the water-chambers are the branches a of a conveyor 5, suitable checkvalves being arranged in branches of the conveyer to prevent back flow, such check-valves being..,indicated at 6; also, communicating with the water-chambers, preferably at their upper ends, are air-conveyors 7, adapted for communicating fluid-pressure from the compartments S and 9 of the valve-casing 10 to the water-chambers, and arranged in the water-chambers are valve-operating weights 11 and 12, preferably consisting of buckets or being hollow to insure the buoyancy thereof when arranged upon or in the liquid contents of the chambers, but have sufficient weight when unsupported by the denser fluid to actuate the rocking valve 13. Extending upwardly from the weights are operating-rods 14, which pass through the pressure-conveyers 7 and are connected at their upper ends with the arms 15 and 16, which are attached at their inner ends to said valve 13, the means of attachment illustrated in the drawings consisting in the threaded inner extremities of said arms fitted in tapped sockets 17 in the valve, said arms extending radially from the valve.

The valve is of conical form and is fitted in a tapered seat 18, formed, preferably, in the partition 19, by which the compartments 8 and 9 of the valve-casing are separated. Oommunicating with this valve-seat are inletports and 21, adapted to convey pneumatic or other fluid pressure respectively to the chambers 8 and 9 of the valve-casing, and also communicating with the valve-seat are exhaust-ports 22 and 23 for conveying fluidpressure respectivelyin said chambers 8 and 9 to the exhaust-chamber 24, which is formed axially in the valve, the valve in turn. being provided with inlet-ports and 26, communicating with an axial inlet-chamber 27 in the valve, and also having exhaust-ports 28 and 29,by which eXhaust-pressu re is conveyed from the ports 22 and 23 into the exhaustchamber 24. The valve is provided with an axial extension 30, which is carried to a point beyond the side wall of the valve-casing, and said extension is tubular, with its bore in communication with the exhaust-chamber 24 to form an exhaust-conveyer, from which the fluid exhausting from the valve-casing may be conveyed to any suitable point of discharge. The approximately opposite valveinlet ports 25 and 26 are arranged in an angular position different from the seat inletports 20 and 21, whereby only one set of the valve inlet-ports maybe arranged in registration with their cooperating seat inlet-ports at one time, whereby fluid-pressure may be admitted to only one air-chamber at a time, and a similar difference in the angular arrangement of the valve exhaust-ports 28 and 29 and the seat exhaust-ports 22 and 23 obtains for a similar purpose, the valve inlet and exhaust ports 25 and 29 being arranged in such relative positions as to be in communication, respectively, with the air-chambers 8 and 9 simultaneously, andthe valve inlet and exhaust ports 26 and 28 being correspondingly arranged for simultaneous communication with their respective air-chambers 9 and 8. Hence when the valve is in one of its ad justed positions the inlet-chamber 27 thereof is in communication with one of the airchambers of the casing, while the exhaustchamber 24 is in communication with the other air-chamber, whereby while one airchamber is receiving the air-pressure the other is exhausting, the relative arrangement of parts whereby this is accomplished being clearly indicated in Fig. 5.

Owing to the fact that there is a permanently open communication between the airchambers 8 and 9 and the liquid-chambers 1 and 2 it will be seen that when the valve is positioned to admit fluid-pressure to the chamber 8 said pressure will be applied to the liquid contents of the chamber 1, while the contents of the chamber 2 will exhaust through the conveyer 7 and air-chamber 9 to the exhaust-chamber 24. Fluid-pressure is conveyed to the inlet-chamber 27 through a pressure-supply conveyer 31, and assuming that the liquid-chambers 1 and 2 are full and that the valve has been turned to open communication between the inlet -chamber 27 and the air-chamber 8 said pressure will be applied to the contents of the liquid-chamber 1 and the latter will be forced out through the conveyer 5, this operation continuing un til the level of the liquid in the chamber 1 has been depressed sufficiently to withdraw its support from the weight 11, whereupon the latter will descend, and thus turn the valve to cut off communication with the chamber 8. Assuming that the adjustment of the valve has been sufficient to open communication between the inlet-chamber 27 and the air-chamber 9 and between the air-chamber 8 and the exhaust-chamberv24, the airpressure will be applied to the contents of Y the liquid-chamber 2 to'expel the latter, as

hereinbefore described, while the influx of liquid into the chamber 1, due to the removal of pressure threfrom, will cause the exhaust of the fluidpressure from said chamber 1 through the conveyer 7 and chamber 8 to the exhaust chamber 24. We have found in practice, however, as above indicated, thatit is desirable to provide means for assisting the weights 11 and12 in reversing the position of the valve, and hence attached to the extension 30 of the valve, and preferably located exteriorly of the casing is a counterbalance 32, consisting of a block keyed or otherwise secured to the spindle or extension 30 to swing with the valve, thesame being eccentrically attached, and movable weights 33 and 34, mounted in channels or races 35 and 36 in said block. Said movable weights 33 and 34 may, as illustrated, consist of balls or rollers, and the races 35 and 36 converge toward one end of the block or in a direction tangentially to the valve-spindle,whereby when the valve is in an intermediate or closed posi1ion,with the block horizontal, the upper race 35 inclines downwardly and the lower race 36 upwardly toward one end of the block. Now assuming that the valve is in theposition indicated in Fig. 2,with the inlet-ports in communication with the chamber 8, the downward movement of the arm 15 by the weight 11 when the liquid contents of the chamber 1 have been almost wholly expelled will turn the valve to a closed or intermediate position, with the block or body portion of the counterbalancing device in an approximately horizontal position; but in this position the race 35 is inclined downwardly toward the right hand end of the block, whereupon the movable weight 33 traverses the race to the depressed end thereof. This additional weight at the right-hand end of the block causes a still further depression of the block at that point, which brings the race 36 into a downwardly-inclined position to ward the right-hand end, whereby the weight 34 traverses its race 36 and adds its weight in the direction of the desired movement of the block. This completes the throw of the valve and insures the full opening of the ports, and

hence the accurate operation of the 'mechanism. q I

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of thisinvention.

Having described our invention, what we claim is- I 1 1. In a liquid-elevating apparatus, thevcombination with liquid-chambers provided with valved inlet-ports, and a communicating liquid-conveyer, of valve mechanism including separate pressurechambers, in communication, respectively, with the liquid-chambers, a rocking valve having inlet and exhaust ports in communication with said pressure-chambers, means controlled by the level of liquid in the liquid-chambers, for causing an initial movement of the valve, when the contents of a liquid-chamber have been partially discharged, and a counterbalancing device connected to and movable with the valve,

and having aplurality of independently-movable weights for successive movement as the valve advances to difierent positions to continue the movement of the same, substantially as specified.

2. In aliqul'd-elevating apparatus, the combination with liquid-chambers provided with valved inlet-ports, and a communicating liquid-conveyer, of valve mechanism including separate pressure chambers, in communication, respectively, with the liquid-chambers, a rocking valve having inlet and exhaust ports in communication with said pressure-chambers, means controlled by the level of liquid in the liquid-chambers, for causing an initial movement of the valve, when the contents of a liq uid-chamber have been partially discharged, and a counterbalancing device connected and movable with the valve and having races arranged at difierent inclinations, and movable weights mounted in the races, said races being adapted for arrangement successively in inclined positions, to cause the readjustment of said movable weight, during the movement of the valve, substantially as specified.

3. In aliquid-elevating apparatus, the combination with liquid-chambers provided with valved inlet-ports, and a communicating liquid-conveyer, of valve mechanism including separate pressure chambers, .in communication, respectively, with the liquid-chambers, a rocking valve having inlet and exhaust ports in communicationwith said pressure-chambers, means controlled by the level of liquid in the liquid-chambers, for causing an initial movement of the valve, when the contents of a liquidchamber have been partially discharged, and a counterbalancing device connected and movable with the valve, and having races convergent in one direction and containing movable weights, said races being adapted for successive inclination in a common direction to continue the inital movement of the valve, substantially as specified.

4. In a liquid-elevatin g apparatus, the combination with liquid-chambers provided with valved inlet-ports, and a communicating liquid-conveyer, of valve mechanism including separate pressure-chambers, in communication, respectively, with the liquid-chambers, a rocking valve having inlet and exhaust ports in communication with said pressure-chambers, means controlled by the level of liquid in the liquid-chambers, for causing an initial movement of the valve, when the contents of a liquid-chamber have been partially discharged, and a counterbalancing device consisting of a block carried by the valve-spindle and provided with inclined races and movable weights mounted in the races, said races being adapted for successive inclination in a common direction, to cause the readjustment of the weights and continue the initial movement of the valve, substan-- tially as specified.

5. Inaliquid-elevating apparatus, the combination with liquid-chambers provided with valved inlet-ports, and a communicating liquid-conveyer, of valve mechanism including separate pressure chambers, in communi-' cation, respectively, with the liquid-chambers, a rocking valve having inlet and eX= haust ports in communication with said pressure-chambers, means controlled by the level of liquid in the liquid-chambers, for causing an initial movement of the valve, when the contents of a liquid-chamber have been partially discharged, and a counterbalancing de vice having a block securedto the spindle of IIO 

